The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-12-18
<LE ABOUT A DIsPESsARE.
TIE system by which FIFTY Doctors Attend
$4,000 Fstients In . Tesr-hfedicines st
Ten Cents or Nothins. ss You Please.

The System by which Fifty Doctors Attend
600 Patients In . Year-Hfedicines st
Ten Cents or NothinE. ss You Please.
Although there are literally dozens Of
medical dlspensaries Of one sort or another
in New FORK and it's neighborinG cities. the
public is divided in It's relationship to them.
between the poor. whose ailments make them
know more than they want to Of them. and tho
rich and moderately circumstanced. who know
absolutely no more than that they treat the
poor for nothing. Yet their work Is not only
vast, but IL is exceedingly interesting, and they
rank second to no institution, in the town in
the minds Of those who form the vast majority
OF our fellow citizens dwelling in tonements.
and unable to provide funds against the up
pearance OF sickness in their households.
The Oldest and largest Of these free DOCTORS
offices is the New York Dispensary in Centre
street. which is now ninety-two years old, and
has treated two million patients. The old
Northern Dispensary in Christopher street.
founded In 1917, treats something like 10000
persons In q year: the Eastern In Essex street,
founded in 1882, is equally busy, and then there
are the Demilt, founded in 1851; tho North
western, the German, the Northeastern, and q
host Of outdoor departments Of hospitals, and
asylums, charitable societies, and the like.
A reporter Of The Sun spent yesterday In the
Demilt Dispensary at Twenty-third street and
Second avenue. 1t is a three-story brick build
ing, but the basement is used as O dwelling.
the upper part is leased to the Dental College.
and only tho first floor is used for dispensary
purposes, This floor was found to consist OF a
large open room filed with wooden benches.
divided ~lengthwise by n partition Of wood and
ground glass separating eight or nine rooms
from the large hall. These and two or three
ordinary rooms that also open into the main
ha1l urn fhn on1ooo ~ Tho corpa If Dhyaiotnps
and are called class rooms. being devoted to
the treatment of different classes Of ailments.
The patients know that certain ailments are
treated at certain hours, between 9 o'clock in
needing the aid of dentists assemble IN the
%ternoon, along with those who need electrical
t tTsss nrnsis AND o SO ON ~ t There 9sm is an nby eye|ning
shops and factories. Every sort Of treatment
Tor every sort Of ailmente except smallpox is
Whatever, misery, there is in this perpetual
gathering OF the sick poor is not visible in the
women than men, and DR.. Charles 6; Currier.
the house physician. accounts for this by the
than mon, and are more prone to regardthem-
selves as III. when they, are not 50, than mon.
and come for help only when there is some
thing the matter with Them, These women
who are seen forever on the benches waiting
a rule, to be neatly dressed. and are often stout
and rugged looking; Now and then q bad cough
twitch Of pain betray the fact that they are suf-
ferinG; The room is well lighted. as clean as
f Ea1i soeieu Il Ti might shtI be- MISTAKEN aoktGS for art the 'e class
room Of a Methodist church but for the search
ing and comprehensive odor OF drugs that fills
first Of the = little ttHlsp roon MS where the house
physician sits, and tell him, through an open
~ want o tooth pulled, sir" says one;
II have the rheumatism" says another.
Even a srick IN the back or 2 headaehe or 2
I've been on o spree. sir, and want to brace
well, you'll have to come in the afternoon"
says the house physician.
nerves" he says. 4 prescription OF bromide Of
choral in it; and the friend who is with him is
is Weakened and brought around in four or five
hours. One woman who has a relative with
other one says she has the brown E%eetsrs." In
the the course course e. 81 The h, day no 3o, sue r. case o n,h Tsa as
mouth" but all things are possible to him who
Hold, on. my good woman" says DR.: Currier
to an CID Toman who complains Ct a sore
thr0at. You're Your eyes yes S 1esd atssn %Gfss t to- f fSsy
are very much inflamed. Go with this card
into sT fSHR s you' si aaa s aSss TIE ySv %o sHss io9 my e Se;s
arc very bad. sir. with the tailor work at night"
In this way more benefit is vouchsafed than
for. the polite manner and kindly tone. With
r WaaGa al und Eao ali hiD eire "rs sPoesa + Th n b. ase
thereupon explained that the word charity
comes sSnt, i from + a Greek root meaning grace" and
Nirtue-a point most respectfully repeated for
the benefit of certain well-paid dispensers OF
One of the few men who drops in is a painter.
who lets his hat fall from his nerveless hands
lead palsy. and the i muscles Of his wrists are
Starr in the nervous room" the last in the
mean by saying thar this dispcnsary is sup
piled, with the best apparatus that can be
many cells that cost sis4o' and is adapted Tor
all the demands OF elortro-therapeut!cs. DR..
Starr applies 9 electricity Eel e to tt the IN, mans helpless
" 1t is common with painters, "he says. and.
treatment for years. We have cured bad cases
In two, years. and yet one man has boon coming
turns to his business and gives new Strength
to, his ailment. Tho lead that poisons mon is
taken into ths system through the stomach:
luncheons without cleaning their hands, and
80 take in, little by little. enough lead 70 do the
uiSCulCl. luey uIculu6 II III lctu tlSO u INC
high temperature and close atmosphere OF
carriage painting rooms, but 1t is believed that
they must draw 1t into their stomachs through
their mouths and noses. as it is not taken into
the systom through the lungs. The electrical
treatment applied to the muscles exercises
them SO as to strengthen them and to restore
At 8 o'clock the dispensary- was at its busiest.
The main room was. crowded. and work WAS
under wayin nearly all tho smaller ones. Just
beyond the nervous room two physicians
with babes. nearly al so rosy and bright look
Ing, as to lead to the suspicion that some, ono
Next door the room for general medicine.
usually the busiest OF all, whore ailments not
belonging under any general heud are treated,
was closed and deserted, but ip the room be-
yond DR.. Knight was treating throat ailments.
And here was something peculiar, and interest
Ing. for he WORE, attached to II leather strap
around his forehead, a circular looking glass
with n holo in the centre. He held. q
very small looking glass on the end of q
long handle. The patient opposite him sat
with his mouth open. and the mirror on the
light and threw them into tho mans, mouth.
In the mans mouth the doctor held tho little
ClnSa In cttnh "a ,nsift,p fhnt tha III ptl,o ~ tln